6.6 Developmental Tasks in Adolescence

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)

What hormone does the Hypothalamus release during puberty?

Luteinizing hormone (LH - Boys) & Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH - Girls)

What hormones does GnRH trigger?

Releasing of testosterone and androstenedione

What does increased LH in boys lead to?

Onset of menstruation

What does increased FSH in girls lead to?

Adrenarche

Occurs between ages 6 and 8 where the adrenal glands secrete increasing levels of androgens, mostly dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

Gonadarche

Marked by the maturing of the sex organs which triggers a second burst of DHEA production. Estrogen increases for girls and androgens increase for boys

Primary Sex Characteristics

The organs necessary for reproduction

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physiological signs of sexual maturation that do not directly involve the sex organs

9 1⁄2 and 14 1⁄2

At what age does growth spurt happen in girls?

10 1⁄2 and 16

At what age does growth spurt happen in boys?

2 years

How long does growth spurt usually last?

Spermarche

Boy’s first ejaculation which occurs at an average age of 13

Nocturnal Emission

An involuntary ejaculation of semen (a.k.a wet dream)

Menarche

Girl’s first menstruation which vary from the age 10 to 16 1⁄2

Menstruation

A monthly shedding of tissue from the lining of the womb

Formal Operational Stage

Highest level of cognitive development and characterized by the ability to think abstractly

Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning

A methodical, scientific approach to problem solving, and it characterizes formal operational thinking which involves the ability to develop, consider, and test hypotheses

Deductive Reasoning

Moves from a general premise about a class to a conclusion about a particular member or member of the class

Fuzzy-Trace Theory Dual-Process Model

Model that states that individuals encode experiences into two types of memory traces: verbatim and gist

Verbatim Analytical

Memory trace that represents the details of an event

Gist-Situational

Memory trace that represents the general meaning or theme